Scientists have discovered that one of our most famous ancestors had dark skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair.

Ground-breaking research shows that Cheddar Man, whose bones were unearthed more than a century ago in Gough's Cave in Somerset, had "dark to black" skin.

Previous reconstructions of the First Briton, which were not based on DNA data, depicted him with a lighter skin tone.

A detailed examination of the DNA of the skeleton, along with a facial reconstruction of the fossil, shows that the young man would have had a darker complexion than previously imagined.

But we now know that the first modern Briton, who lived around 300 generations ago, had dark skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair.

Research by evolution and DNA specialists at the Natural History Museum and University College London suggests that the pigmentation associated with northern European ancestry is a more recent development.

The research and re-modelling process was documented for a Channel 4 show The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man.

Adrie (left) and Alfons Kennis sit beside their full facial reconstruction model of a head based on the skull of Britain's oldest complete skeleton on display (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Professor Ian Barnes, research leader at the Natural History Museum, said at a screening of the documentary: "For me, it's not just the skin colour that's interesting, it's that combination of features that make him look not like anyone that you'd see today.

"Not just dark skin and blue eyes, because you can get that combination, but also the face shape. So all of this combines together and make him just not the same as people you see around today."

They scanned the skull and a 3D model was produced by "paleo artists" Alfons and Adrie Kennis, who make life-like reconstructions of extinct mammals and early humans.

Full facial reconstruction model of a head based on the skull of Britain's oldest complete skeleton on display during a screening event of The First Brit: Secrets Of The 10,000 Year Old Man at The Natural History Museum, in London. (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

The twins, who have created reconstructions for museums around the world and usually create models of Neanderthals, spent three months creating Cheddar Man.

"It's really nice to make a more graceful man, not a heavy-browed Neanderthal. So we were very excited that it was a guy from after the Ice Age. We were very interested in what kind of human he was," said Alfons.

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Alfons said: "People define themselves by which country they're from, and they assume that their ancestors were just like them. And then suddenly new research shows that we used to be a totally different people with a different genetic makeup.

"People will be surprised, and maybe it will make immigrants feel a bit more involved in the story. And maybe it gets rid of the idea that you have to look a certain way to be from somewhere. We are all immigrants."

The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man airs on Channel 4 on Sunday February 18.